Fans of classic British telly are in for a real treat.
Rewind TV is finally coming to Freesat on June 25th, landing on Channel 164. The launch has been a long time coming, with viewers asking about Freesat availability since the channel first appeared on Freeview back in 2024.
Rewind TV co-founder Jonathan Moore said: "We are delighted to bring Rewind TV to Freesat viewers from June 25th. Freesat's audience is a natural fit for the channel, with many viewers having a strong affinity for the classic programmes and television personalities that define Rewind TV."
If you're not familiar, Rewind TV is an independent channel built around the idea of bringing back British programmes from the 1960s through to the 90s that have been gathering dust in archives. The channel has made its name by finding genuinely rare programmes that haven't been on telly for decades.
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite TV service in the UK, backed by broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5
|FREESAT
Last year, they tracked down a 1956 Tony Hancock comedy that had been missing for 70 years. They've also shown rare Doctor Who documentaries, a 1950s children's programme called Hank The Cowboy that was lost for over sixty years, and the brilliantly strange 1970s sci-fi series Star Maidens.
If you're tuning in for the first time when it hits Freesat, June is an ideal month to start watching.
The schedule right now is packed with classic comedy and cult drama. You can catch The New Statesman, featuring Rik Mayall as the wonderfully corrupt MP Alan B'Stard. There's also Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), the detective series where one of the investigators happens to be a ghost.
Doctor at Large is on the lineup too, which includes an episode penned by John Cleese that many consider a dry run for Fawlty Towers. Plus, there's Only When I Laugh and a showcase celebrating Frankie Howerd.
Don't have Freesat? Rewind TV is also available to watch in the following areas:
- Freeview Channel 81
- Sky Channel 182 (satellite only)
- Freely Channel 141 (aerial-connected version only)
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The arrival of Rewind TV on satellite dishes comes as the UK Government reviews the possibility of shutting down Freeview and Freesat.
A Green Paper — a consultation document that sets out proposals for discussion before a final decision has been made — outlining the transition away from Freeview and Freesat, which offer access to free-to-air channels via a satellite dish, will be published in the coming weeks, according to the Daily Telegraph. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall have already signed off on the details of the paper, its sources claim.
Under current UK Government policy, traditional over-the-air broadcasts are only guaranteed until 2034. However, regulator Ofcom is reviewing whether this cut-off date should be extended.
The industry has been pivoting towards a streaming-only future in the UK.
Freely is the successor to Freeview, offering access to an unrivalled selection of free-to-air channels and on-demand catalogues over a Wi-Fi connection — with no aerial needed | EVERYONE TV PRESS OFFICEAs well as major changes to BBC iPlayer, rival Channel 4 has shuttered five of its Freeview channels and told staff to consider streaming before approving any new commissions.
But the biggest push towards an internet-only television arrived from Everyone TV back in 2024. Dubbed Freely, this is a joint effort between the UK's biggest broadcasters ― the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 ― to replicate the experience of watching Freeview and Freesat with just a Wi-Fi connection. Live free-to-air channels are streamed over broadband, so there’s no need to connect your TV to an aerial, meaning it can be positioned anywhere in the home.
GB News was added to the service as part of a major update last year.